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Location: midwest mama | I have a big horse that gets pretty low going into the turns and he can front-foot a bit. He doesn't shoulder or anything, as a matter of fact his turning style is wicked fast and everyone tells me not to try to change it.
However, as much as I try to sit deep in my seat, I am having a heck of a time keeping my feet set when he goes into his turn. I go forward and my feet get back behind me - especially if he front-foots a bit. Then I can't drive him into the turn. I ride in a Shiloh Contender and I like it except for that. I bought it used and I am wondering if the stirrups are so worn that they are way TOO free-swinging, or if that's just the way these saddles are. I ran this horse in a different type saddle for awhile (that they don't make anymore) and my feet didn't go behind me, but it was pinching him in the shoulders so I had to stop using it.
Any suggestions? Tricks? Can I make my Shiloh work?
If not, what type of saddles out there now have stirrups that can't go too far behind? I don't want them forward set, and I like some movement, but I don't want them so free my feet can go up and back.
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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Location: midwest mama | Anyone? Please? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 794
| Use some bungee cords and tie your stirrups to your breast collar so that your stirrups will stay forward. |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| I have heard of "hobbling" your stirrups forward. You take it to the saddle shop, tell them that's what you want af they do it lol. They do something way up under the fender that keeps your stirrups more forward. Also the tying them to the breast collar and rubber banding your butt to the back of the saddle (not recommended but I've seen it).
I mean if you know it's because you have a heck of a time sitting hard (not sitting hard is what is causing your feet to go behind you) than that's really all there is to putting your feet I front of you to turn without some help of another object like the stuff listed. I don't think it's the saddle I think it's the horses turning style throwing you off.
Good luck! |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | Core strengthening and weight lifting. You might need a different saddle for that horse. The Contenders are fairly flat-seated, aren't they? |
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| Are you pushing back on your saddle horn when you go into the turn? If your elbow is in your gut you are less likely to be thrown forward. |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| I agree with pushing back on the horn also. I was taught to push back going I to the turn and pull up on it coming out of the turn |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Seat size makes a difference in how you ride too, if your seat is to small on saddle it will make you feet get behind you. And the lenght of your stirrups makes a difference too.
And question: What does front footing mean? |
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Location: midwest mama | Southtxponygirl - 2014-08-19 9:40 AM
Seat size makes a difference in how you ride too, if your seat is to small on saddle it will make you feet get behind you. And the lenght of your stirrups makes a difference too.
And question: What does front footing mean?
Front footing is where a horse pops hard on both of his front feet when he first commits to the turn..........and then gets his hind end under him to slide around. It is very jarring to the rider and pops them up in the air. It is very hard to sit. My horse only does it once in awhile, and to be honest I probably grab his face a little and make him do it. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 212
| I have the same problem. A josey saddle has forward hung stirrups that helped alot, but it sounds like you want to keep your saddle. Id just start the run with weight pushed into stirrups and legs forward a little more than usual, so when they slide back at the turn they end up about centered instead of behind. really helps me to just push down hard like concentrate on keeping my weight inthem. I also ride with my stirrups a little shorter than most people and i think that makes them go behind me too, so try riding with longer stirrups |
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 Sorry I don't have any advice
Posts: 1975
Location: Sunnyland Florida |
Get your stirrups hobbled. Not forward, but straight where they're supposed to hang (unless you like them forward). Or, change saddles. Any name-brand barrel saddle should have stirrups hung so that you don't get behind. Ammerman, Josey's, McKenzie, etc.
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 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | I don't care who you are...It's hard to ride a horse that turns on their frontend. I would be trying to stop that habit. Some do it because they are coming into their turn too fast and slow down with their front end instead of getting on their backend. Some do it because they aren't trained to get on their butt. For some it's their style.
Edited by Nevertooold 2014-08-19 1:37 PM
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | OldSchoolCowgirl - 2014-08-19 12:11 PM Southtxponygirl - 2014-08-19 9:40 AM Seat size makes a difference in how you ride too, if your seat is to small on saddle it will make you feet get behind you. And the lenght of your stirrups makes a difference too.
And question: What does front footing mean? Front footing is where a horse pops hard on both of his front feet when he first commits to the turn..........and then gets his hind end under him to slide around. It is very jarring to the rider and pops them up in the air. It is very hard to sit. My horse only does it once in awhile, and to be honest I probably grab his face a little and make him do it.
So you talking about a horse that turns on it's front end? Never hear the term Front Footing on a horse that truns on front end. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Nevertooold - 2014-08-19 1:36 PM
I don't care who you are...It's hard to ride a horse that turns on their frontend. I would be trying to stop that habit. Some do it because they are coming into their turn too fast and slow down with their front end instead of getting on their backend. Some do it because they aren't trained to get on their butt. For some it's their style.
I agree, horses dumping on their front end also are loosing precious time.
If the horse is only doing it occasionally I would question soreness, and cueing the horse properly. |
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | Sharon Camarillo is great, Meleta Brown makes a great saddle, neither are "forward hung" but hang straight and aren't so free swinging. I. Hate. Free. Swinging. Stirrups! As a side note I bought a used camarillo saddle that had a weird contraption set up, it had the stirrups leathers hung under the pommel so that your feet hung way ahead of you. No matter how I tried I hated that too. But I have learned that certain companies can put those type of stirrups on their saddles. I believe the setup is called a Foreman rig. For the record corriente and pozzi both swing way more freely than I like.
Edited by LMS 2014-08-19 3:10 PM
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Location: midwest mama | BUMP |
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 Ace Ventura Pet Detective
Posts: 2409
Location: Wisconsin | You CAN tie them forward, i myself dont like that feeling. OR you can order a saddle with a forward hung stirrup (this is what I use)..Also talking with many saddlemakers, you feet can also go behind from your saddle being too small. Good Luck |
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  Fact Checker
Posts: 16572
Location: Displaced Iowegian | The most usual causes of getting your feet behind you is that your saddle seat is too small or your stirrup length is too long..... or both. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 475
Location: Alabama | I can't make a run in my trophy saddle because my feet get behind me. My other 2 saddles, I have no problem. I would borrow some saddles & try different brands to see if it's your saddle.
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Location: midwest mama | Bump |
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How Do I Keep My Feet From Getting Behind Me In My Turns?